Using global search
Using global search
The global search (command palette) lets you find users, groups, pages and help guides from anywhere in ADAdmin — and ask questions in plain English — without navigating to a specific section first.
Type a question like "how do I suspend a user" and the matching help guides appear right in the results with a short preview, ranked above the record matches. Typos are forgiven ("suspnd" still finds the guide). If a query looks like a task ("create a user jane smith"), a Do it now action row appears that opens the right form for you. And for anything the instant results don't answer, the Ask the assistant row gives a plain-language answer drawn from the help documentation itself.
Before you start
- You must be signed in as an admin, mentor, observer, governor, or ofsted account. Learners do not have access to user or group search.
- Results are scoped to the school or schools you are currently authorised to see.
Steps
Step 1 — Open the search {#step-1}
Select the search bar in the top centre of any page, or press ⌘K (Mac) or Ctrl K (Windows / Linux).
The search panel slides open with a text field ready to type.
Step 2 — Type your query {#step-2}
Start typing a name, username, or page name. Results appear after you have typed at least two characters, grouped into three sections:
- Users — matching people in your authorised school(s), shown with their avatar and school name
- Groups — matching cohorts
- Pages — matching pages in the sidebar navigation
Step 3 — Select a result {#step-3}
- Use ↑ and ↓ arrow keys to move through results
- Press Enter to open the highlighted result
- Or click a result directly
Selecting a user or group opens their edit page. Selecting a page navigates to it.
Step 4 — Close without selecting {#step-4}
Press Escape or click outside the panel to close it.
Result
You land on the selected user, group, or page. If you selected a user in a different school from your current active school, ADAdmin automatically switches to that school first.